JAKARTA: The majority of Malaysian private students in Indonesia have no personal protection insurance scheme, says Malaysian Ambassador-Designate to Indonesia, Zainal Abidin Bakar.
He said parents should be aware that their children were also exposed to various risks of accidents, illnesses or disaster.
“The cost of medical treatment in Indonesia is quite expensive, (hence) I request parents who send their children to study in Indonesian universities to own medical insurance or personal protection schemes,” he told Bernama.
Education Malaysia Indonesia (EMI) director Assoc Prof Dr Mior Harris Mior Harun said there were 3,438 Malaysian students in Indonesia registered with EMI, of which 2,707 were private students and a majority of them did not have insurance.
Dr Mior Harris said there were cases of private students involved in accidents and hospitalised in Indonesia involving high costs.
“In 2019, for example, a Malaysian student was involved in an accident in Medan, and the treatment cost RM60,000.
“(In 2018) two students were killed in Ponorogo and Pekan Baru. The cost of repatriating the bodies cost around RM15,000, and in 2016, the cost of evacuating 155 students following the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali, was RM47,000.
“In 2015, the transfer of 250 Malaysian students from Padang and Jambi to Pekan Baru due to haze, cost RM60,000,” he said.
He said since the students did not have insurance, EMI took the responsibility to manage the compensation applications with Jasa Raharja, the Indonesian Government agency for accident compensation.
Dr Mior said EMI also conducted donation drives and applied for zakat assistance to cover the costs. – Bernama
